Connecting arrangement

Abstract

The invention relates to a connecting arrangement for a releasable and lockable connection between the upper end of a table leg and the underside of a table plate for assembly of a table. In this case a first connecting part provided with clamp bolts can be fixed on the upper end of the table leg and a second connecting part can be fixed on the underside of the table plate, this second connecting part having several bores and receiving holes adapted in size, number and distribution to the clamp bolts and containing an end plate with a clamp closure plate which is arranged flat above it and is rotatable relative thereto to engage the clamp bolts and firmly clamp the clamp bolts and attached table leg to the second connecting part and this connection can be released again. In this way a reliably stable and releasable connection is produced between table legs and at least one table plate with the possibility of assembling tables of any size from any number of table plates.

I claim: 
     
       1. Connecting arrangement between an upper end of a table leg and at least one table plate for assembly of a table, characterized by a releasable and lockable construction with the following features: a) a first connecting part which is fixed on an upper end face of the table leg and has several clamp bolts arranged symmetrically with respect to one another and projecting vertically upwards with heads constructed on their free ends;   b) a second connecting part which is coordinated with the table plate and which comprises an end plate which can be fixed on an underside of the table plate with several bores adapted in their size, number and distribution to receive the clamp bolts and clamp bolt heads of the first connecting part as well as a clamp closure plate that is of essentially circular construction and has a lever arm and which is arranged flat on the end plate, is capable of limited rotary movement relative to the end plate about a vertical axis between a release position and a locking position and wherein the lever arm is formed integrally on one peripheral section of the circular portion of the clamp closure plate and is directed away from the axis of rotation for the rotary actuation of the clamp closure plate and has a downwardly projecting knob and a circular slot-like cut-out through which the knob of the closure plate lever arm projects freely downwards is provided in the end plate, and the ends of the cut-out form end stops for the knob in such a way that the end stops determine on the one hand the release position and on the other hand the locking position of the clamp closure plate, and the clamp closure plate has on its periphery several receiving holes which are provided in a region above the bores in the end plate and are shaped like catches in such a way that in the release position of the clamp closure plate at least some clamp bolt heads of the first connecting part can be freely inserted into these receiving holes and in the locking position of the clamp closure plate the clamp bolt heads inserted into these receiving holes are gripped by the clamp closure plate and are locked by firm clamping of the first connecting part with the second connecting part.   
     
     
       2. Connecting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a shield plate is provided above the clamp closure plate which is preferably circular and can be fixed on the underside of the table plate and which covers the slot-shaped cut-out in the end plate in the manner of a window shield and which has on its underside facing the clamp closure plate guide projections against which the clamp closure plate is supported with its upper face. 
     
     
       3. Connecting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the axis of rotation of the clamp closure plate is formed by a journal which is fixed in the end plate and engages through a central bearing bore in the clamp closure plate. 
     
     
       4. Connecting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the receiving holes in the clamp closure plate each have a first hole section adapted to the diameter of the clamp bolt heads and a narrower second hole section, and these second hole sections are constructed as circular slots which are centered on the axis of rotation and have a width which remains substantially the same over their length and is adapted to the diameter of the clamp bolt shank sections lying immediately below the clamp bolt heads, so that these circular slots each open at one end into the appertaining widened first hole section and are defined laterally by regions of the closure plate in the form of inclined surfaces which in each case rise evenly from the appertaining first hole section as far as the region of the opposite end of the slot, so that during actuation into the locking position of the clamp closure plate the inclined surfaces which define these second hold sections engage under the clamp bolt heads inserted into the first hole sections to clamp them firmly. 
     
     
       5. Connecting arrangement as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the heads at the free ends of the clamp bolts are in the shape of a spherical segment and the clamp bolt shank sections immediately below each head have an annular groove running round them, the width of the groove corresponding to the material thickness of the clamp closure plate and the depth of the groove being such that the clamp bolt diameter which is reduced in the region of this groove is adapted to the slot width of the second hole sections in the clamp closure plate, and the heads and the remaining shank portion of each clamp bolt have a diameter of the same size and the bores provided in the edge plate are adapted in size to this diameter. 
     
     
       6. Connecting arrangement as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the dimension by which the lower edge of the clamp bolt heads project upwards from the upper face of the first connecting part corresponds to the combined thickness of the end plates and clamp closure plates which are connected to one another. 
     
     
       7. Connecting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that four clamp bolts are fixed on the first connecting part so that they are evenly distributed in the four corners of an imaginary square, and in a corresponding square distribution four bores are arranged in the end plate and four receiving holes in the clamp closure plate, so that at least two bores and two receiving holes belonging as a pair to one side of the square lie near and parallel to one edge of the table plate. 
     
     
       8. Connecting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the second connecting part is attached to the table plate in the corner region of the table plate and has first pair of bores and receiving holes belonging to one side of the square that are coordinated with one edge of the corner region of the table plate and a second pair of bores and receiving holes belonging to a second side of the square lying adjacent to and at right angles to the first pair of bores and receiving holes that are coordinated with the adjacent edge of the corner region of the table plate. 
     
     
       9. Connecting arrangement as claimed in claim 8, in which at least two table plates which butt flush against one another with their opposite edges can be assembled with table legs which are to be arranged below their corner regions to form a table, characterized in that a second connecting part is fixed on the underside of each corner region of the table plates in such a way that the pair of bores and receiving holes in the second connecting part of the first table plate have a center-to-center distance from the opposing pair of bores and receiving holes in the second connecting part of the adjacent other table plate which corresponds exactly to the center-to-center distance of the two adjacent clamp bolts on the first connecting part of a table leg in such a way that two clamp bolts of the first connecting part can be releasably clamped in the second connecting part on the corner region of the first table plate and the two other clamp bolts of this first connecting part can be releasably clamped in the second connecting part on the corner region of the other table by one and the same table leg. 
     
     
       10. Connecting arrangement between an upper end of a table leg and at least one table plate for the assembly of a table, characterized by a releasable and lockable construction with the following features: a) a first connecting part which is fixed on an upper end face of the table leg and has several clamp bolts arranged symmetrically with respect to one another and projecting vertically upwards with heads constructed on their free ends;   b) a second connecting part which is coordinated with the table plate and which comprises an end plate which can be fixed on an underside of the table plate with several bores adapted in their size, number and distribution to receive the clamp bolts and clamp bolt heads of the first connecting part as well as a clamp closure plate which is arranged flat on the end plate, is capable of limited rotary movement relative to the end plate about a vertical axis between a release position and a locking position, and has on its periphery several receiving holes which are provided in the region above the bores in the end plate and are shaped like catches in such a way that in the release position of the clamp closure plate at lease some clamp bolt heads of the first connecting part can be freely inserted into these receiving holes and in the locking position of the clamp closure plate the clamp bolt heads inserted into these receiving holes are gripped by the clamp closure plate and are locked by firm clamping of the first connecting part with the second connecting part and wherein each connecting arrangement table leg is in the form of a hollow section with a substantially rectangular cross-section, preferably in the form of such a metal section, are provided, the first connecting part includes an insert part which is fixed in the upper end of the table leg with a press fit and which has an upper shoulder rim which is widened by approximately the material thickness of the table leg section and is intended for support on the upper edge of the table leg section, and vertically extending bores, in which the clamp bolts are firmly received in the insert part.